Knight of Cornelia
by Darthlink79
Summary: Guilford. Knight of Cornelia, his look on the events during the war and after. Chapters are subject to be reorganized. I'm not writing chronologically, but I am posting chronologically.
1. Euphemia's Knight

"Be it this operation or the one at the Narita Mountain Range, it's obvious they are targeting you Princess." Andreas Darlton informed the Princess Cornelia. Guilford kept his face still, emotionless, he didn't want to show that even though he knows his Princess is stronger than most other soldiers on the field, she is not invincible. He cared for her safety.

"It's very normal to target the leader." Cornelia replied stoically, it wasn't like her to show her emotions after all. Guilford spoke up, "There was the incident with His Highness Prince Clovis as well." Darlton then finished telling her the theory they had put together. "Zero, rather than being an enemy to Britannia as a whole, is possibly acting in order to take revenge upon the Britannian Royal Family."

The Princess Euphemia said something…but she was usually soft spoken and it seemed like she said it to herself. Guilford noticed her concern, as did Cornelia. Cornelia stood from her chair and turned to her younger sister, and with more warmth than she had ever shown Guilford or Darlton… she said, "Be careful Euphie. Don't let something like the Hoteljacking incident happen again." She gently cupped her sister's chin in her gloved hand, her concern evident.

"How about arranging a knight for her?" Guilford asked.

"A knight?" The young princess asked him.

"If we dedicate a knight to protecting Princess Euphemia, she can form her own personal unit using this person as the core. Princess Euphemia has the right to do so since she is the Vice Governor-General."

"Guilford." Cornelia said gruffly as she turned to him. "Prepare a list of candidates. I want Euphemia's knight to be the best of the best." He immediately bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness." After which he turned and walked off.

He spent a good portion of the night reading through personnel files, doing his best to narrow down the endless choices for a knight. _Euphemia needs a knight she can trust…one who is reliable…a spotless record. If her knight turns out to be faulty, and she gets hurt, it is my fault. Lady Cornelia…will lose her smile. That soft tone she only uses with Euphemia. I cannot let that happen._ He picked only from the finest group of all the soldiers. "Darlton. What do you think of this…Lieutenant Mary Sherrie? She's 24 years old, stationed in Area 3 as Department of Intelligence?"

The Veteran Soldier turned to Guilford, after pulling up the personnel file. "A decent prospect, however it's important that Euphemia feels comfortable around her knight. A knight is more than a soldier. It is a confidante, a loyal soul that the Princess can entrust themselves to completely. Perhaps someone closer to her age. Warrant Officer Zectole Vignal Jr." The slide on the screen in front of them changed. "He's local, he's just a few years older than Her Highness Euphemia, and he's got a respectable family and record."

_Confidante? A Loyal Soul?_ It was true that the Princess was capable of showing her weaknesses to Darlton and Guilford, Guilford had rarely seen them. Still, even after Andreas had dismissed himself to other work and then bed, Guilford kept working on the list for his lady.

The next morning, he was sitting in the conference room before everyone else, the list compiled into a thick book in front of him. He brought a hot cup of tea up to his lips, he had to stay awake, and it would give himself and his Princess a bad image if he fell asleep during this meeting. To his surprise the first one into the room was the Third Princess. She was dressed in her white dress uniform, the buttons buttoning like most formal uniforms; that was nothing out of the ordinary. Her hair though was done up in an overly elegant and artsy manner. Guilford never could imagine having enough time to put hair up into those shapes. He found it unnecessary, a trait he and his Princess shared. "Good Morning Lady Euphemia. I trust you slept well."

"Oh!" Somehow she didn't see him there when she walked in. "Good Morning Sir Guilford. I did sleep well, how about…" she looked at him and she could tell he hadn't slept at all, so she tried to change the question, "…what is that there?" She asked motioning to the book in front of him. Guilford reached up and shifted the glasses on his face, and then he looked up through his frames at her. "A list of candidates for your Knight, Lady Euphemia, Lady Cornelia will be able to narrow them down more; you won't have this massive list to deal with." He smiled a bit at her. "Please, have a seat Euphemia."

Euphemia looked a little intimidated by the list and sat down in her seat at the head of the table, to the right of Guilford and left of Cornelia. "Erm…what is it Sir Guilford?"  
"Lady Euphemia, I want to let you know some things. Choosing a Knight is a big decision. A Knight is more than a soldier. A Knight is sworn to the Knight's Covenant, we are bound to the fate of our master, and the fate of the people we serve as well. We fight as Knights of Britannia, outside of the normal military and bound only to the master that we serve. Our covenant is simple. "Protect the weak, defenseless, helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all." In return we receive, honor, dignity, and trust. Trust from our masters, trust from the people, and the faith in our skills. We are the swords and shields for greater justice. And we must…" he took a pause for a moment. He took a sip of his tea and put it back down on the saucer before continuing. "…forsake our own desires for that covenant. We cease to be the major players in our own lives, and rather become minor players in our master's life. Our needs and wants are our masters. We are an extension of their will, and their being." His grey eyes met the now wide blue eyes of the Third Princess. "Do you understand why this decision is so important and why Cornelia cannot help but worry about this? Pick wisely Lady Euphemia. Consider this advice not from your elder, but from a friend, and do not be afraid of this decision. I feel that you will know who it is when you see them."

Euphemia sat in silence for a moment before she spoke up. "Is that how you really feel Sir Guilford? Is it really so simple to put aside all your desires for my sister?" Guilford looked over the frames of his glasses trying to keep his surprise hidden. _Euphemia isn't a fool, how much can she see in these grey eyes of mine? Can she see how I feel about Cornelia…no, how I want to feel about Cornelia. I am a Knight, I cannot afford such feelings…I took a covenant to put aside my desires. _"Simple? To desire is to be human Lady Euphemia, whether or not you act upon those desires, separates a soldier or an aristocrat, from a Knight. I do have desires Euphemia, and if I can act on them without interfering with the wishes of Lady Cornelia I will do so, however my desires take second place to Cornelia's." Before Euphemia was able to ask another question other politicians and Her Highness Cornelia entered into the conference room and sat down, prepared to discuss the agenda for today.

* * *

Later, Guilford and Cornelia were away from the Tokyo Settlement, in Kanazawa. They had gone there to deal with the few remaining bits of resistance in Area 11 that were not affiliated with the Order of the Black Knights. Guilford turned on the news in the Governmental Office in which they were staying.

"In the news today, it appears Her Highness Euphemia li Britannia has announced her choice in her personal Knight today, in what was supposed to be a commemoration ceremony at the museum." They then switch over to a clip of Euphemia at the Museum. "Lady Cornelia, come here please. I think you might want to see this." Guilford called to the Princess. She walked over to him and watched the screen.

"Everyone! I will answer the question raised earlier. You were wondering whether or not I had decided who would be my Knight, right? The one I have decided on to be my Knight is that person over there." She raised her hand to the screen which the news crew supplemented a picture of on an overlay. "Warrant Officer Kururugi Suzaku." There was an overall sound of interest and appall and lights began to flash as cameras went off in her face. They switched back to the news studio. "Warrant Officer Kururugi Suzaku is an Honorary Britannian who first appeared in the news for being suspected of the murder of Prince Clovis, and being freed by Zero of the Order of the Black Knights. Her Highness has…" Cornelia abruptly ended the video. "What part of picking from that list was so hard? Euphie…you're too strong willed for your own good."

The Second Princess disappeared into the conference room and Guilford went to his quarters. He activated his communicator and set the channel to open receive like he did every night, if Darlton or some other person just wanted to talk. It didn't happen often, but occasionally it did happen. He had just sat down and started writing reports and reading reports when he had a communication on one of his channels. He honestly wasn't sure who it could be, and he got up to check. To his surprise, when he turned the screen on it was the Vice-Governor-General. It was Euphemia…calling him?

Puzzled he sat down at his desk and accepted the communication. "Sir Guilford. I assume you saw the news. I picked a Knight."  
"I did see Lady Euphemia, but why are you calling me about this? Shouldn't you be talking to your sister?"  
"I already did Sir Guilford. She told me it was a foolish decision, but she couldn't do anything about it. I told her I wanted to change the way we treat Numbers."  
"Lady Euphemia. Treating Numbers differently is a national policy. To change it you'd have to become the Emperor yourself."  
"….that's just what sister said. Do you really think that Sir Guilford, or are you just saying what you think sister would want you to say?"  
"I speak as a knight."  
"Speak as Guilford."  
"If you wish, I told you that you would know your knight when you saw him. If you believe he can fulfill the role, I do not mind. However, if you are picking him solely because you have grown fond of him…then I disagree. He is a skilled pilot, but there is more to being a knight then skill."  
"Guilford." He heard someone knock on the door on her side. "I'm sorry, I have to go."  
"Yes, Your Highness."

And with that the screen went dark.


	2. Suzaku's Knighting and Resignation

There was no need to dispatch her Personal Unit. Guilford, Cornelia and the whole of the Glaston Knights were stationed at the G1 base as their forces annihilated the last remaining troops of the Ishikawa resistance force.

The onscreen battle was progressing nicely, the area was 80% clear and they had minimal losses in manpower. Truly Guilford never ceased to be amazed by Her Highness Cornelia. Still, there was no need for her to be here when one of her officers could easily handle the logistics, and noting the time Guilford leaned down to her. "My Lady, Her Highness Euphemia knights the Honorary Britannian in a few moments. If you want to take your leave to watch it, I will handle things here on the bridge."

Cornelia's sharp violet eyes turned to meet his. "Guilford. You will come with me to the conference room. I want you to see the man you are going to help learn to perform his duties when he takes his vows." She then stood and spoke the remainder of the crew. "Major. You have the bridge, if there is a sudden turnaround that needs my attention I will be in the conference room." They both then left the bridge, the "Yes, Your Highness." echoing behind them.

Guilford activated the screen which displayed the news in Area 11, and clearly none was bigger than Euphemia's knighting ceremony. The cameras panned the grandiose audience hall, trying not to capture too much of the ambient noise until need be. "From what we can tell the general consensus about Her Highness Euphemia's choice among the nobles here in the Tokyo Settlement is somewhat negative. Others have mixed opinions and some refuse to answer on camera. However, it remains to be seen whether Kururugi Suzaku will be able to fulfill the role required by a Britannian Knight. The son of the Former Prime Minister of Area 11 Kururugi Genbu, will he be able to leave Area 11 behind and become solely dedicated to Britannia? It is hard to say."

Cornelia sat at the end of the massive conference table and Guilford took his normal spot two seats to the left of her. Cornelia remained silent as she watched the screen with some interest, considering the controversy of her younger sister's decision, she was curious as to how it would play out.

"Oh…it looks like Kururugi is entering the hall; let's just see how he handles himself." With that the cameras panned to the entrance of the ballroom, the young man walking along the red, white, and gold carpet towards the throne carried himself with pride….pride that a Knight of Britannia should have, despite the harsh rumors that you could tell were going around the grand hall. He ascended the few stairs and knelt before the Third Princess.

"Kururugi Suzaku. Art thou willing to stand by the knight's covenant and fight as a Britannian Knight?"  
Guilford couldn't help but smile a little bit. He remembered the day he was knighted, taken those same vows.  
"Yes. Your Highness."  
"Art thou willing to forsake thy desires and act as our sword and shield for the sake of greater justice?"  
"Yes. Your Highness."  
The young Eleven then drew his sword from the sheath, and angled it to his heart, offering the other end to the Third Princess, in the ultimate sign of submission.

What would she do from here? If she was unsatisfied with his manner or presentation, or anything at all, a simple thrust would take the life of the Number. Or would she take the sword and bring him into the ranks of some of the most prestigious of Britannians. _His presentation was impeccable. No unnecessary movements, no harsh words. No lack of confidence. Truly he is a Knight._ Guilford thought as he watched the display.

Euphemia took one step forward and took the hilt of his blade in her hands. Raising it up, Suzaku bowed his head. She brought it down and blessed both shoulders of the new Knight, informing him silently that he had met her expectations, before she made it official.  
"I, Euphemia Li Britannia, acknowledge thee, Kururugi Suzaku, as a Knight. Bravery, Justice, Grace, Faith, Nobility, and Hope…these are the virtues I, your Lady, cherish, and you as a knight will carry on."  
She turned the blade on its side and presented it to the new Knight, Kururugi Suzaku, who took that burden with dignity and sheathed it to his side to carry forever more. She then motioned silently for him to stand and he did…there was no applause.

"Tch. These aristocrats can't even courtesy clap. I don't blame them, he is a Number."  
"My lady, he is the Knight the Third Princess chose. She has every right to choose a number if she so wants. In a way, she has taken a heavier burden then he has."  
"Guilford…you may be right. I'm just concerned she won't get herself into even more trouble."  
"Kururugi has saved her once already. He can protect her. Of that I am sure."  
"How do you know Guilford?" It was an exceptionally harsh sound from the Second Princess' mouth.  
Guilford lowered his head a bit. "He reminds me of myself. He will die for lady and country. But he will not die without a fight."  
Cornelia just, nodded at that. Guilford is an excellent knight, and if he approves of Suzaku's character, he must be doing something right.

* * *

Guilford rushed into the room where Cornelia was with news.  
"Your Highness."  
"What is it this tme?"  
"The gateway bridge at the Kyushu block has been destroyed!"  
"What?!"  
"On land there are attacks from all four directions. On top of that there are a large amount of attack boats approaching from the surrounding sea toward region seven."  
"Is it the Chinese Federation? But there wasn't a war declaration…"  
"No. On these boats are…the Japanese national flag!"

Cornelia looked at Guilford solemnly, and she stood. "Everyone out, now. I want the attack fleet ready to retake Kyushu by tomorrow morning. Guilford, come with me."  
"Yes. Your Highness."  
Guilford and Cornelia headed back to her room and she sat down in her chair quickly and hard. "This has been a bad day Guilford." Guilford didn't sit; he just stood in the alcove directly in front of the door. "Why is that Lady Cornelia?"  
"We finally get Ishikawa suppressed, and I find out that having Euphemia's Knight did the exact opposite of what I wanted him to do for her. I just received word from the Avalon that Kururugi disobeyed a direct order out of regard for his life. He let Zero escape and unnecessarily put Euphemia at risk."  
Guilford looked perplexed, the furrow in his brow indicative of that. "My Lady, I'm sure Kururugi had his reasons. He carries himself like a knight. His life is of little value to him, that's evident. So if he acted to protect his life…he must have had a reason."  
"He's a damned number. We shouldn't have trusted him with Euphie's life. Sit Guilford, just listen. Don't be a knight for the moment." Guilford nodded and sat across from her. "And on top of even that, this incident if Kyushu caught everyone by surprise, this could all have been dealt with if that Eleven had followed orders and Zero would be dead. The primary moving force of this rebellion would be over."  
"Did he receive any punishment?"  
"Schneizel isn't charging him, he says the circumstances were 'extraordinary'."  
"Lady Cornelia, if there isn't anything else…I do have duties."  
"No Guilford, you'll stay here. Let me vent. Your duty is to me first, everything else later."  
"Forgive me my Lady."  
And there they sat for several hours until there was a call on Cornelia's personal line.

"Sister…" Euphemia said in a sad and depressed tone over the vast distance between here and the Tokyo settlement. "…Suzaku resigned his post. Something about not being qualified as he is…"  
"You're better off Euphie. Guilford. Leave us."  
"Wait! Sir Guilford. You told me I'd know my knight when I saw him. Why was I wrong?" When Euphemia addressed Guilford, Cornelia's icy gaze shot between both of them.  
Guilford just lowered his head as he stood. "I apologize Princess. It appears I was mistaken. Perhaps you should select a replacement from the list we provided."  
"I don't want another Knight! I want Suzaku!"  
"I must go Lady Euphemia." And with that Guilford walked out, leaving Cornelia's gaze, and leaving the two of them to their talk.


	3. Zero Tenchu

**Zero….Tenchu!**

"Lord Guilford. We need you to identify the body." a few medics said to him in reference to Lord Darlton. He slowly turned his head and responded slowly..."Where is Princess Cornelia?" The medics fell silent. "Where...is she?" One of them nodded and guided him to a room away from the rest of them...Cornelia was lying there...his invincible lady...decimated. Her heart destroyed by Euphemia's death...and her body beaten by Zero. Guilford hardly left her side the next few days, save to eat and relieve himself. He was not available for reports...no, he just sat there...watching his lady.

Slowly there was a stirring...his lady stirred and woke up, her dark violet eyes scanning the room and saw Guilford there. "Darlton?" She asked curiously, to which her knight shook his head solemnly. "Zero...how many more must you take?!" She slammed her fist down angrily onto the bed's armrest and sat up quickly, tearing open a wound in her side and bleeding heavily. "Princess!" She heard as within a couple of seconds her Knight Guilford was there applying pressure to the wound, patching it up as best as he could. "Guilford...." She said as she looked down at him, his hands rapidly tightening the wraps and applying gauze and bandages.

Guilford looked up at her for a moment, their eyes meeting and they stayed that way for several moments. The dark gray of his eyes locked into the violet of hers....and it was as if they were conversing this way, until she came forward and he moved up and embraced her. He held her, limp and pained body and soul there...for a few moments. "Zero will pay." He said quietly, but his tone was harsh and sharp, like the voice of judgment itself. "I swear upon the names of Euphemia and Clovis, and Darlton....Zero will pay." She nodded her head against his shoulder and simply said..."We will kill him Guilford. We will kill him." "Yes. Your Majesty."

Later that night, the Princess was sleeping again, resting off her wounds while her knight sat across the room. Confident that she would recover he turned on the television, only to see on all channels the Britannian Flag, and to hear the announcement. "Zero has been executed...the leader of the Order of Black Knights has been killed, Area 11 has been liberated from the clutches of the Japanese. All Hail Britannia!" Then the national anthem of Britannia began to play as was usual for these types of events...

Silently Guilford cursed himself for not having Zero's head to present to Cornelia, but he stood and woke her, and as she sat up and looked at the television. As the anthem ended the announcer started again. "Presenting his Imperial Majesty, the 98th Emperor of The Holy Britannian Empire, Charles Zi Britannia!"

Both the Princess and her knight watched the man, the man whom Guilford despised and respected at the same time. He hated him for what he was capable of doing to Cornelia, one of the few men to have made her collapse on her knees in pain. He always wondered why Cornelia came out of that meeting with him that way...but that thought was interrupted.

"Zero has been destroyed by the truth that governs this world. Survival of the Fittest has claimed the God of the Japanese, the one who creates miracles. By destroying him we once again prove that we Britannia are stronger, more resilient than the best of the Areas and of the world. Struggle, Conflict, War...all of this contributes to the unfaltering march of progress, to the continuation of evolution, to the betterment of ourselves. We Britannia will march ever onward to tomorrow, crushing those in our way. The world will be reformed through evolution! The sniveling dogs of the Chinese Federation have no men that can oppose us, the nation is full of lazy dullards who have all wealth redistributed to them. Equality is not a right...it is a sin. The EU who is governed by rabbles and popularity contests, is full of corrupt men who fill themselves with greed. But not Britannia! Britannia is the means of justice, the natural selection of this world. Zero stood against us and he fell, despite his status, the 'King of Elevens' is just the King of Elevens. Even the greatest of ants is still an ant, we Britannia are giants. We will march through fields of ants, creating the future the human race dreams of. We will shatter the world's lies and bring forth the truth! All Hail Britannia!"

Cornelia turned off the television. _Was it true? Was he dead? Was revenge found? _She wasn't satisfied, even if it was the Emperor that killed Zero...she wanted to do it, to feel his blood on her hands....to squeeze the life out of his heart. _Tenchu... _

Guilford turned to Cornelia, and even though they both wanted his head...they said to each other..."He is dead." _Tenchu!_

_((As a note. Tenchu means Divine Judgment or Punishment.))  
_


	4. Traitor

**Traitor…**

He shoved the young student into the car. "Who would have thought Zero was actually just a student?" Reentering his Vincent he watched through the Factsphere readouts the young student...Lelouch Lamperouge, talk to Schneizel himself in the car. _A student? Cornelia...wounded by a STUDENT?! Euphemia! Clovis! Darlton! Lelouch Lamperouge.....you should die...._ He looked out of the factsphere again and....

_"When I assume this pose, you will think of me as Princess Cornelia from that moment on."_

_Princess! Why are they holding you captive?!_ "Guilford my knight...Save me!" Guilford without a seconds hesitation dragged his MVS through the top of the car. "Yes. Your Highness!" "Lord Guilford! What are you doing?" he heard blaring over all the comm channels. "What am I doing? You're mad, taking my superior captive!" And then he pulled Cornelia to the bulkhead and took off, taking the fire from the ground troops like it was nothing, heading away as far as he could.

Upon setting down near a knightmare he only recognized as the Shinkiro frame that Zero uses, he was curious as to why Cornelia put them down here and then he departed his Knightmare Frame. Cornelia walked off the hand of the Vincent and towards the Shinkiro. "Princess...where did you leave to? Where have you been?" he walked towards his Princess with a look of concern and expecting a response. It wasn't often she kept things from him. As he approached though, Cornelia raised her hand. "Stay away Guilford. Get back in your Knightmare. The Black Knights left a Knightmare Frame here, they might have left guards." "Yes! Your Highness!" He nodded and went up to the hatch of his Knightmare. "Princess! Do you have the access code?"

"Yes Guilford I have the code for this Knightmare...our intelligence retrieved it from a member of the Black Knights." He nodded and pulled back into his Vincent, powering it back up, as the Shinkiro powered up and lifted off into the air. Guilford followed in his Vincent, looking the whole time at the Shinkiro. "Guilford. Continue onwards until we reach the Tokyo Settlement." "Yes. Your Highness."

_Cornelia! I knew you were not lost to us...merely away on your own agenda. _He opened a private comm channel to the Shinkiro. "Princess...why was Lord Schneizel holding you hostage, and the Glaston Knights your captors?" "It's a complicated explanation Guilford. We will not discuss this now." Then the comm channel was closed. _Princess? _She was acting more distant than usual. "Cornelia."...he tried again on a different channel. "No. Guilford. Later."

It wasn't long before they approached the Tokyo settlement, and then it went dark....very dark. All of the lights in the Tokyo settlement went down...everyone in the Britannian command center was vulnerable. _Cornelia? What...what is happening? _He watched as the Order of the Black Knights flew through the city, taking out as many of the Britannian Knightmare frames as he could, though...he thought it was Britannia doing the opposite. Until he saw the Avalon, and the Knights of Rounds.  
"What's going on? Why am I treating the Brittanian Army as enemies?"  
"Guilford, aid Jeremiah and attack Kururugi Suzaku."  
"But Princess! Kururugi is..."  
"There isn't time to explain! Its an emergency. Can't you believe in me and fight?"  
"Yes Princess."

Guilford moved out flying towards the Lancelot, and thrust his needle lancer at its head, though Suzaku dodged the blow.  
"Lord Guilford too!?"  
"Kururugi. We both have our different masters! Don't hate me for this!" He fused his MVS into a double bladed lance and lunged towards the Lancelot. Their weapons met and he held his ground against Kururugi and the Knights of Rounds. _Lady Cornelia! If this is a Coup D'etat...I will stand beside you. If this is an assault for treason! Again I will stand beside you! You must live! You ARE Britannia! I swore my loyalty...to you! _

One knightmare frame. Another. So many that he had lost count...there were entirely too many Knightmares on this field...eventually he lunged again at Kururugi, who was making a direct assault on the Shinkiro that contained his Princess. "Kururugi Suzaku!" But was deflected with nothing more than a movement of the Lancelot. Looking up, the hadron blast was let loose from The Lancelot flew towards the Shinkiro, only to intercepted by...._ The Black Knights Guren? Did Britannia deploy her? Turn her? _He tried to advance, only to be halted by the Tristan and Zino Weinberg. _Move dammit! Cornelia! Lady Cornelia! _The information coming over the open channels was distracting, personal conversations between Zino and the Guren pilot. Guilford struggled against the Tristan's superior frame, trying to gain even the smalles bit of ground. Eventually Zino broke his MVS lock and Guilford. was able to move around Zino and towards the Shinkiro.

Several knightmares got in his way, but he slashed through them. Kururugi however had been ripped apart by the Guren pilot and...his factspheres had caught FLIEA. _FLEIA? Here? Cornelia!_ Immediately he turned and flew towards the Shinkiro "Princess! Please escape! PRINCESS!" He collided with the Shinkiro, just barely ahead of the light and used a full thrust to propel her outside of the range of the Sessrumnir Field, but he didn't escape. _Even at the cost of my own life...I will protect you my lady. _His knightmare was disintegrating the field tearing it apart, and through a patchy comm channel he said, "Princess! Please live on! Live..." the comm went dead but he continued..."for the both of us!"

And after that...there was nothing. And even though he lived....the strangest thing was...he remembered only the last part...when he shoved Cornelia out of the way, not how he got there...not who he fought or how he fought...just...that he shoved his Princess out of the way.


	5. Dark Eyes

**Dark Eyes, His Lady his Light.**

He awoke from the sleep...to nothing, the sheer abyssal void of blackness, nothing but the sounds of hospital workers and the beeping of machinery. It had been like this for...a while, how many days exactly he couldn't remember. Guilford hadn't even been out of bed yet, they said his wounds were too severe. The main thing that concerned him though was whether or not Cornelia made it away from that blast safely. Of course Cornelia was never caught in any FLIEJA blast, but Guilford thought she did, and that made his mind worry.

It had been five years and three months since his life had changed; the strong and lovely Cornelia had selected him to be her knight. He still didn't understand why, there were better soldiers, more intelligent ones as well. Better pilots, stronger soldiers, more intelligent men. He didn't think he was qualified to be her knight...but he was honored that he was. He brought his hand up to his face to brush the hair out of it, it was annoying him. He put his hand down abruptly though and winced in pain as bones in his wrist, the fractured carpals bumped into one another and he sighed.

How many weeks had he been going through physical therapy, through daunting mental training, teaching himself to navigate through sound and touch, to identify people by the sound of their footsteps and the feel of their hands? He might never gain his sight back after all, and that would make him useless to his lady. A pilot that can't fly is a useless one. A soldier that can't see his lady to protect her is also useless. But he pressed on, undaunted...he was going to work hard if only to hear his lady's voice one more time. The thought of Cornelia drove him...drove him on for some reason. His lady was his pillar of support, his guiding beacon, without her he would be no one. These thoughts surprised him; he had never contemplated the relationship with his lady.

Before, he was just an ordinary citizen. His family was respectable but not extraordinary; they were upper middle class, a family of businessmen, of philanthropists. He had thought about doing something with charity organizations overseas, for all the good that would have done. No he just traveled after high school, learning what he could from time to time. It was a...relatively unimportant time in his life, little happened and he eventually returned to the motherland. He joined the military, ran a few standard missions, and did little to prove his worth before he got moved into a subordinate division of the Glaston Knights, under Darlton's command. After a few more missions he was taken into the Glaston Knights, as an honorary soldier, not because of excellence, but because they knew he could be trusted.

It was on that day though, that nervous day, when he was invited to the Princess Cornelia's chambers by the Lady Cornelia herself that his life changed. The nervous man walked into the large chambers, which from what he had heard about this young lady (for she was 23 at the time) didn't seem to fit. He had heard she was an amazing warrior on the battlefield, one who could mow through a battlefield of enemies and not break a sweat. Oddly enough, there was a large record player, ornately covered and decorated in the corner of the room as he walked in; he stared at it for a moment...only to realize it was a CD player. He laughed inwardly at himself, though he was completely nervous about meeting this woman, had his behavior been unsatisfactory, his performance. Why was he called?

And then, the Lady Cornelia emerged from the adjoining room, her violet hair flowing down around her shoulders, in an oddly simple yet elegant look. The young soldier was now even more intimidated, she had a...fierce but inviting air about her, to be on her bad side meant death it would seem. He immediately assumed attention and stood there. "Gilbert G.P. Guilford" she said as she looked at him, "Darlton speaks highly of you. He says you are a young soldier full of potential." Guilford stared at her for a moment unsure of what to say...this really couldn't be why she summoned him could it?

She sat down in her chair, and looked over at him. "I'd like to make you my knight Lord Guilford. What do you think of that?" Guilford was a bit shocked....but he accepted in haste. "Yes! Your Highness. It would be an honor." Her tone didn't change. "Very well. I'll make preparations for the Ceremony." and with that she was up and gone. He stood there a moment, trying to process what had happened, before turning and leaving.

His life changed that night...he ceased to be Gilbert the average soldier, and became Guilford the Knight of 2nd Princess Cornelia. He swore his allegiance to her, and continued along her side for many years, becoming a close friend and her confidante, even after Darlton had passed. He was unvaryingly loyal, even when the Princess had disappeared he waited. His Princess was his life.

And now he had risked his life for her, and nearly lost it. His body broken and his eyes useless....he spent the eternity in those hospital walls, walking along the parallel bars, his body healed mostly. Still he needed crutches to get around, and they helped when detecting walls or people. Sitting in the darkness of...what he believes is his room, though he had no way of checking, he listened as he did daily for his exercise. He tried to strengthen his senses, and he heard it...faintly. "Second Princess Cornelia was just checked in with a Gunshot wound, all attending physicians to operating room one." He perked up and felt around for his crutches. His Princess needed him.

He pulled himself out of bed, and with strength he didn't think he had he made his way there faster than anyone thought he could have, but he was barred entrance. No...He wouldn't accept that...he had to at least be inside, even if it was behind the glass, and with strength he didn't have that morning he pushed the men in the way aside and forced his way into the room, waiting behind the glass. He couldn't see his lady...but he could smell the horrible hospital smell, it was too clean, to fake...but there it was. The smell of blood and gunpowder...and....the smell of his lady's perfume, he would know that smell anywhere, though...he didn't know he knew it.

It wasn't long until he was dragged out, he wasn't able to keep fighting the security for long and she recovered later. When she awoke he was there with her. As far as he was concerned it was just her in that room. Everything was black...the sound of the machine indicated her heartbeat was stable...the sound of her breathing was that she had just woken up. The smell of her skin was....hard to define. Soft yet....enticing....and it was almost as if for the first time in a while, he could see someone. He could see his lady in his mind's eye, bandages and all. He took her hand when she offered it to him....and he smiled at the feel of her hands.

They weren't like Euphemia's hands...delicate, soft, smooth, but they weren't like his either...they were smooth but had a subtle strength behind them....soft but had a hidden firmness....they weren't calloused and rough. He smiled as they talked there...about everything, about the Geass Cult, and Guilford's supposed defection and...everything, until tears flowed from his eyes. "Princess..." he said softly as he felt like he failed her in some way...since she was never in the Tokyo attacks, and he had been fighting for the wrong side the whole time. And then...she squeezed his hand...filling his heart with warmth and he could almost see her smile softly as she turned her head to look at him. "You're still calling me that?" and to that he couldn't help but cry some more....he was so stupid he didn't realize that he and his lady were more than Knight and Lady...they were friends...lovers even. Even if they both hid it. She was his light in darkness...and he was her sword and shield, her strong embrace of comfort....they needed each other. On the battlefield and everywhere else.


	6. The Exploding Confession

**The Exploding Confession.**

It had been months since that moment in that hospital room, where he had realized that Cornelia was more to him then his lady. He would never admit this to her though, no his duty forbade it. Unfortunately, it was all he could do to not tell her, he was otherwise useless except as a small errand boy. His sight had returned a little, it was patchy and blurry, but altogether unreliable. He sat in Cornelia's room awaiting her return; she had given him the task of reviewing a report from the UFN, and to give his opinion. Simple, mind-numbing labor was all he had been reduced too. The printers had begun to print Cornelia's papers twice, once in print and once in Braille. As he sat there, running his hands along the raised dots of the minutes and other summaries and things of these conferences, his mind wandered distantly.

The dirt was cold and hard as the ejector pod opened up and filled with dirt and he scrambled his way out, the emergency rifle almost falling away from him. He looked up at the target, a mere two hundred yards away. It was a large container of liquid Sakuradite, this was a supply facility that was being used to counter the Princess Cornelia's efforts into this area. He hurried up into the crags of the nearby cliffs using it as cover from the knightmare fire that was directed towards him. He took cover under a nearby rock face as the Glasgows stopped firing at him. They figured that he wasn't a threat to them and to waste ordinance like this was to be foolish.

His objective was simple, he was part of a Squadron that was to go in quickly and neutralize all enemy sources of Liquid Sakuradite at this base. However, somehow they had gotten a hold of this information and were lying in wait, Guilford was brought in at the last minute before they shipped out due to an injury of another squad member. So it was a makeshift squadron, still they thought they had superiority to the enemy with just the five Knightmares. They weren't so lucky. The enemy had 5 Glasgows all set up in ambush and got them from behind swiftly, decimating them. He was the only one who had managed to escape and land away. This mission...was up to him. He camped out there for some time, watching them through a pair of binoculars that came in the ejection pod too before he crawled out. He observed as they all got out of their Knightmares and proceeded to listen to an order and unload the liquid Sakuradite in containers. These containers were significantly less thick than the walls of the primary hold.

Patiently he waited until the small cargo truck was full of them and then through the scope of the emergency rifle he aimed at the back. One Knightmare pulled up alongside the truck to escort it. It was now or never. He let fly all of the rounds in his clip, knowing that he only needed one round to get close enough to the mark to puncture the container and ignite the Sakuradite. And sure enough…just one round did. The explosion lit up the night sending the Knightmare and all the Sakuradite into nothingness. His mission...was a success.

He was snapped back into the present as the sound of the door sliding open made him turn his attention to it. The sound of the boots falling was indicative of the Princess Cornelia, and the Violet blur in his eyes confirmed it. "Princess". He said shortly as he nodded his head to her. "Guilford. How is your progress on those reports coming?" Guilford shook his head. "Slowly. I still can't read this damned Alphabet." He knew that because he hadn't been doing his share of the work, Cornelia had taken it on herself. And she was sleeping very little because of it. He felt like he was doing the opposite of being a good Knight. He was actually harming his own lady. "Relax Guilford, you'll get it...just take your time." Damn it. She was coddling him. "My Lady. Do you regret making me your knight? Even a little at times? I didn't die honorably like Darlton, and I can't serve you fully. I'm nothing but a worthless man, unable to be a worthy knight for you."

Cornelia looked at him a little shocked and the boot she was removing dropped to the floor with a thud. "Why? Do you regret accepting?"

His eyes darted to the noise, though all he could see was an indistinct blur. He thought back again in that instant...and he said firmly. "No my lady. I love...." He caught himself stumbling over his words, trying to find a good one fast enough so she didn't suspect him of changing it. "....the work I do. The fact that I accepted the Knightship, but....if I am being a burden to you. Then release me!" He said with a hint of a command in it. For a knight to command his lady…it's foolish.

Cornelia sat stunned....before shaking it off and standing, continuing to undress, her overcoat and then her blouse, as she walked around in her skivvies she didn't care. The man was mostly blind still, and was disciplined enough to focus on her head. Her voice was starting to be filled with annoyance. "Guilford if I thought you were a burden---" "But I am Princess! Look at me. This is a simple chore. Read the reports and give you my opinion. A simple twenty minute job. You have been gone TWO HOURS! And I'm not even halfway through. You've been getting no sleep because of me!" He immediately fell silent as the violet blur moved towards him and slammed her fist down loudly on the table. "You damned well better believe you're a burden! But that's NOW! You were a burden when I first made you my Knight too. But you grew into a man I could trust and needed not to carry myself. You'll get there Guilford! But if you want to leave. Tell me now and I'll let you go." He could tell that she paused and looked firmly into his eyes, even if he couldn't see the fire in her eyes it was like an extra sensation. "Tell me." She ordered.

"Can I get you a drink milady?" He said sideways trying to change the subject. "No Guilford. Tell me now." Her voice was not angry. But irritated. She had been doing his work so he could get used to his new limitations, learn to live with them, not fight against them and give up. She was damned well upset at his actions, so she ordered him again..."Tell me if you want to leave." Guilford sighed and looked up at the purple blur that indicated her head..."My lady. I do not want to leave you. I love you. I need you." The large blur moved away and the lights turned out. "That's what I thought you'd say." Before she curled up in bed and slept.

The Knight's Dreams that night were filled with visions of his past. That mission didn't end so cleanly. Chunks of shrapnel from the explosion had flown in his direction and many had pierced his legs and arms, and a few just below his heart, into his lung. If it weren't for the Glaston Knights finding him, he would have been dead. He remembered when he had healed up; he was made a member of the Glaston Knights, running drills and missions with them. It wasn't long before Cornelia had taken notice and he was knighted. At that ceremony he was presented with a pin, as well as a badge. He didn't accept the pin, it was rather large and had the Britannian seal on it. He instead only took the badge, so that he could formally indicate when it was needed and not parade it around.

It was several days later though. Cornelia had not contacted Guilford since his "confession" to her in her quarters. He had no idea what she thought and he moved out of bed to his desk and sat down. His eyes spotted something in the middle of his desk, and he touched it. It was the pin. And in fine braille markings around the edge it said. "Guilford. I feel the same way about you. That is why I want you to remain my knight. My confidante. I love you." And he felt a strong joy come over him again.


	7. Spear of the Empire

**Spear of the Empire**

There was quite a crowd assembled in the garden on this grand summer day. The sun was shining down on the plants and flowers and all the people dressed in their best attire. Lords and Ladies of every rank and country were gathered here for this wonderful occasion. The long walkway to the middle by the fountain was covered with naturally fallen rose petals, and at the end by the fountain stood a minister and Guilford. The Spearhead of the Empire was unnaturally nervous on this day, he was able to keep it from showing on the outside, but he was terrified. Terrified...yet happier than he could imagine.

The Knight was dressed in high end formal wear, of the caliber he could not afford normally but due to his engagement it was included in the budget for the wedding, it was silk and gold thread all the way through, down to the fingertips of the gloves. He felt uncomfortable wearing such high attire but he'd have to get used to it he supposed. His hand twitched as the tension rose, and he did his best to visibly control his nerves, but to little avail. He counted the seconds in his head, each one seeming longer than the last, as the orchestra began to play, the soft sounds of the string instruments resonating through the warm summer day. Then the gate far down the path of rose petals opened, and Guilford looked up at it, and looked intently, as if to check as if the woman he loved was still there.

And sure enough she was. Cornelia stood there, like a goddess in this garden. Her radiance outshone the sun itself, making it seem like a mere match to her luminescence. However, like a man before an angel he immediately was made even weaker, feeling even more unworthy for his lady. That lasted only a moment as he saw her soft smile it melted his worries and he was able to fully take in the grandeur of her beauty.

Her long violet hair was worn in a shapely yet elegant fashion, tiny ringlets shaping the locks of hair that came down, the majority of it up in a bun. Her face seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and her soft red lips were smiling perfectly at her as she processed down along the walkway. His eyes traveled down a bit. The jewel around her neck was a diamond, wrapped in a platinum/silver necklace that looped around her neck in a perfect fashion, the sunlight scattering as it fell upon it making her more radiant than before. Again his eyes dropped, running along the highest line of the dress...the silk and silver threads ran brilliantly across her bosom, weaving downward in a hourglass almost, patterning a long stripe down her middle, the rest smooth and not patterned. The train ran a few feet behind her but nothing remarkable was to be seen in it, but he wasn't exactly looking. His eyes had quickly drawn back up to her face as she approached him and smiled and took his hand. They both turned their heads to the Minister, as all of the front row stood in acknowledgment.

Odysseus U Britannia, Schneizel El Britannia, Nunnally Vi Britannia, Kaguya Sumeragi, Zero, Claudio Darlton, and the other surviving members of the Royal Family or Councilmen from the United Federation of Nations had all stood, except Nunnally, who nodded her head, to give their affirmative consent to this union. The Minister then motioned for them to sit which they all then did. "Dearly Beloved. We are all gathered here today to witness the joining of these two individuals, in Holy Matrimony. Gilbert G.P. Guilford, Knight of the Lady Cornelia, and Her Highness the Second Princess Cornelia. Since so many of you consent, we will proceed." The man turned to Guilford, "Gilbert G.P. Guilford. Do you take this woman, to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and health, through richer or poorer." Guilford interrupted the man which caught him by surprise but Guilford confidently continued. "I do take this lady to be my lawfully wedded wife. It would take more than death itself to keep me from her. We have seen hell and been back to tell about it." He smiled over at Cornelia finding comfort in her eyes. But before the Minister could start to talk again Cornelia responded, "Guilford. Let the man talk." She said with a bit of a laugh following it showing it wasn't a command but a playful hint. "Cornelia Li Britannia. Do you take this man, your knight, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and health, through richer or poorer, in peace or in wartime, until death parts you." Cornelia squeezed Guilford's hand a bit with her marvelously gloved hand. "I do."

It wasn't long before they had embraced each other in that first kiss of marriage; in front of the whole crowd he held her in his arms and kissed her with new meaning than the other times he had done so. The rest of the afternoon really wasn't all that important to Guilford. He enjoyed their first dance as Husband and Wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Guilford Britannia. The toasts passed in a blur, there were so many of them. Odysseus did one that he found rather unremarkable, as did the Darlton boy that was there. The only one that was of any interest was Schniezel's. He stood and raised his glass into the air, "It is a shame that there are so many of our family who is not here to see this. The gruesomeness and hatred of war have torn them from us. But unlike some bonds that are broken and severed in war, these two have only prospered, even the most devastating weapon in Britannia could not keep this man from Cornelia. And that is why I wish them both luck and happiness, for all their life." Again the evening passed in a daze, all Guilford could see going on was when Cornelia talked or smiled or walked, they had silent conversations with their eyes all evening.

Later that night they retreated to their chambers, and as the door clicked shut behind them and the moonlight came in through the large curtains just enough to illuminate the room, Cornelia turned to Guilford and reached up to guide him down to her in a kiss. Guilford smiled at Cornelia as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body to his, his fingers began to unzip the back of her dress before she pulled away. "In a rush are we Guilford?" She said just to annoy him as she retreated towards the bathroom. He straightened back up and looked at her confused. "Of course not milady." She smiled and walked over to the bed and sat for him and looked up at him. "We haven't even made it to the bed yet." He laughed a bit and walked over to her and sat down beside her before turning and kissing her. It wasn't long before he pulled his bare body on top of hers and looked down into her eyes with his own. Cornelia looked up at him as she ran her hands up and down his forearms. "I trust you can handle yourself Guilford." Guilford just chuckled. "Milady, I know how to handle my spear."

And that night, Guilford lived up to his name..."The Spear of the Empire".


	8. Defiant Laughter

((Middle East: ATB 2040))

**Defiant Laughter**

The red warning lights flashed dimly throughout the cockpit, indicating the loss of both of the arms units as she sped through the desert, dodging the gunfire from the rebels that were pursuing her. "Guilford! Where are you?" She checked the IFF radar, and saw him approaching on her six, all the other units, either gone or disabled. These rebels were more than she expected, they had leveled the unit she brought with them. She started an open comm channel, so that the rebels and any troops she had left could hear her. "This is First Princess Cornelia Guilford Britannia, the Knightmare Princess! You have committed crimes of treason against the Britannian Empire and we will crush you!" She then closed the channel.

The aged Guilford's 4th Class Vincent, its floaters damaged, was having trouble catching up to the Rebel group that was chasing his Princess. "Secession...is not allowed!" His targeting system locked onto the entire back half of the pursuit group, and he let fly a barrage of missiles, soaring towards their targets and eliminating the largest and highest class half of the pursuing Knightmares. He noticed a cliff on the other side of the hill. "Cornelia! There is a cliff over the top of that hill! Bear right...I'll give you suppressive fire." He broadcast on her private channel....

"Thank you, Guilford." She turned her Knighmare to follow her Knight's instructions....veering along the rocky ledge of the canyon, heading east as the missles from Guilford's Vincent kept her in the clear. She glanced down at the screen, her left and right legs were damaged, the warning lights indicating a complete mobile shutdown in a little under 10 minutes. She couldn't get far, and the defiant Princess took her Knightmare out onto a precipice, and turned to face the group of people following her. She rotated her Slash Harkens at her enemies, firing the cabled anchors at them, tearing off their heads, and causing them to eject. She was going to be able to finish them...eight at a time.

Guilford clicked the fire button again, the next group of targets had a solid lock....but the screen read "Reload"....and he cursed inwardly. _Dammit! Cornelia! _He swooped down over the group of Enemy Knightmares, his Blaze Luminous taking the brunt of the blows as his machine gun delivered multiple blows taking out lines of the enemy. And he set himself between Cornelia and the brunt of the enemy, extending the range of his Blaze Luminous to encapsulate her as well. "Cornelia...you must live on." And with that he cut off the private communication channel....

Cornelia just stared at the screen where her knight and husband's face just was a while ago...."Guilford!"

He opened a small section of his Blaze Luminous, a narrow strip just over the chest plate and his targeting system set in a long sweeping pattern for the Hadron Cannon. His energy filler had enough for one shot...then he'd be dead in the water. _Live on...Princess. _He fired the cannon, the sweeping motion decimating the entirety of the enemy knightmares....and overloading his knightmare's energy conduits. The flashing lights indicated a few things before shutting down. "Blaze Luminous, Offline. Hadron Cannon, offline. Ejection Pod, malfunctioning." and it listed every part before the main power shut down. He tried to open the hatch, it wouldn't open...he tried the ejector and it worked, but flung him hard against one of the bulkheads as it threw him at an odd angle into the canyon.

Both of Cornelia's legs were at 10% now, having leaked all the fluids necessary for basic operation. She removed the Floater from Guilford's Vincent and attached synchronized it with her own Knightmare, as well as repairing some of the damaged systems. Guilford would have to wait, she had most of an energy filler and a fight to win. After completing the repairs she reactivated her system. Her hadron cannon was online as was her Blaze Luminous, though both were running at 50%. Her main parts were still barely functioning and her missile hatches were not opening. She took to the air following the river downwards towards the faint IFF she was getting from Guilford's pod. It wasn't long before she came upon the wreckage that was that...or...what was left of it. The factspheres scanned the debris and noticed a life sign under it, and she knelt the Knightmare down, before emerging from the cockpit. "Guilford! Guilford! Answer!" A faint...groan came from beneath the wreckage...and she moved a large part of it out of the way, only to find Guilford...those steady grey eyes staring back up at her. "Cornelia." She looked down at him, he was pierced through the middle, bleeding heavily from what looked like the hatch release itself. He would be able to live, as long as she didn't try and move him without proper equipment. Unfortunately...she heard the sound of more Knightmares on the way and they weren't emitting a friendly IFF...._Guilford! They'll capture him...they may even capture me....we're out gunned and out matched. They could use us as leverage into being able to succeed from Britannia....forgive me Guilford. _

The Princess reached into her overcoat and pulled out a pistol and placed it against the Knight's head. His salt and pepper hair draped down over his glasses (which were a little thicker) as he reached up and took her hand. He....through his weak eyes and shaky motions nodded for her to continue. "I love you...Cornelia. You must...live." Reluctantly...she pulled the trigger and silenced her love, her friend, her most loyal companion, her knight. But this was no time for mourning. She got back into her Knightmare, and powered it back up, Blaze Luminous and all of her systems coming back online. But these knightmares coming at her, weren't grunt Knightmares numbering in the thousands. These were Knightmares....Ninth Generation and above. Two of them. The commanders most likely. If she could stop them her mission would be a success. She opened an open channel. "Enemy Knightmares....prepare to die!" She laughed a defiant laugh and took off into the air towards the two pilots. She let the Hadron go quickly, taking out the first frame effortlessly....and then she laughed. She laughed oh so defiantly over the comm system as she anchored herself into the other frame using a slash harken and pulled herself close. She still had no arms, and she fired her hadron again, this one though was able to stop it with his own, dislodging her anchor as she fell towards the ground a bit before recovering.

Several minutes passed, both of her legs were now completely offline, along with her legs, and both of her Floaters were barely keeping her airborne. Yet she still just laughed, laughed a defiant laugh as she sent the remaining power of the floaters into the missiles, and pulled herself in with her anchors...right up on top of the other knightmare, and fired into her closed missile hatches. _Guilford. Euphemia. I'll see you both soon...._ "All Hail Britannia....You worthless number!" And then the missiles self destructed her knightmare, blowing the commander sky high with her. Laughing as if challenging death to kill her...the whole time.

* * *

It was a few weeks later there had been a long presentation at their funeral, from Schniezel and Nunnally, and anyone else who wanted to speak. But the most important perhaps...was Colonel Andreas G.P. Britannia. Who spoke of his father and mother....with great respect.  
"My mother was a fierce warrior. Forever feared and respected even among her enemies. My father...a loyal knight and a loyal father and husband. Britannia has suffered a great loss here today, our First Prince and Princess...destroyed trying to quell a rebellion that started here....we would not let Area 18 join the United Federation of Nations. Area 18's Military Bases were soon overrun by rebels and our own Knightmares turned against us. My mother and father, Cornelia and Gilbert Guilford Britannia...purged the area of rebels and restored order to this important nation. Your sacrifice will not be in vain...." To this the middle aged Nunnally nodded her head.... "...and we will keep moving forward, to a better world." The man laughed a bit..."but you know what they said...that even up until the end...my mother was challenging death....even to the end with that defiant laugh of hers. And so I issue this challenge to you Britannia. Laugh. Even when faced with death or despair. Laugh. Defiantly. For we are Britannia. The nation of courage, strength, and valor! All hail Britannia!"


End file.
